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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23676967">Five Days</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yaboi_writes/pseuds/Yaboi_writes'>Yaboi_writes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Leverage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Eliot Spencer dies, F/M, Hurt Eliot Spencer, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Sad Ending, have tissues on hand, very sad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:29:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>919</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23676967</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yaboi_writes/pseuds/Yaboi_writes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes him five days to die.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alec Hardison/Parker, Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer, Sophie Devereaux/Nathan Ford</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Five Days</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It takes Eliot five days to die. He doesn't look good, and Parker and Hardison know there's no chance he'll make it through the week. He's awake and conscious, but they can tell he's in more pain than he's letting on.</p><p>The two held his hands, they'd be with him until the end. An end that has come too soon.</p><p>They knew it was bad when the doctor spoke of fluid filling his lungs. They were doing everything they could to try and prevent it, but there wasn't much more they could do than make him comfortable in his last few days.</p><p>Parker and Hardison felt it was their fault. That first day was the worst. Eliot was hooked up to a lot of machines and tubes. They held his hands until they had to leave.</p><p>
  <strong>~~~</strong>
</p><p>They laid apart that night, backs to each other. The bed was big and cold without their third. They felt disconnected from each other.</p><p>
  <strong>~~~</strong>
</p><p>The second day was a little better. Eliot was more conscious. He offered a little comfort to his partners, who were closing themselves off, trying to hide their grief from the world.</p><p>Nate and Sophie showed up later in the day and sat with the two. Eliot seemed to relax when the older couple showed up.</p><p>"Thank.. you..." he was having an increasingly harder time breathing, but he was still holding on; he was still trying to hold on.</p><p>"Don't talk darling," Sophie said gently. "It's okay, Eliot. Save your strength."</p><p>He allowed himself to close his eyes. It was less work to just listen to them than to have his eyes open.</p><p>They understood.</p><p>
  <strong>~~~</strong>
</p><p>Hardison sat at the bar, a glass of whiskey between his hands gone undrunk. Silent tears slipped down his cheeks.</p><p>Amy sat besides him and just put a comforting hand on his arm. They sat there for a while in silence before Alec finally spoke.</p><p>"Our lives are falling apart because I wasn't fast enough and couldn't get out of the way faster."</p><p>"Don't blame yourself, okay? It's not your fault," Amy said. "This would be happening regardless of who was in the way or not. Just maybe it'd be you instead of him."</p><p>She left him to think about that.</p><p>It didn't make him feel any better.</p><p>
  <strong>~~~</strong>
</p><p>The next morning, Shelley and Aimee were sitting with Eliot when Parker got to the hospital. Aimee brought her into a long hug, rocking her for a moment. Shelley just sat by the bed, staring at Eliot. He was getting paler, and weaker.</p><p>Eliot was asleep. There was no energy to keep himself awake anymore. He could only do it in intervals. He'd sleepfor an hour and be awake for half an hour. That was all he could do. Bananno, Nate and Sophie showed up and hour later while Eliot was awake.</p><p>The silence in the room was broken when Hardison came in. He was playing some old country music. Hearing the music, Eliot seemed to relax even further. Slowly seeing it was okay to let go just a little more.</p><p>
  <strong>~~~</strong>
</p><p>They sat together that night in the Pub. Parker and Hardison sat with Sophie in between them. They couldn't bear to be next to each other at that moment, and that was okay. It had been a long time since it had been just the two of them. They didn't want to, but they had to learn how to be just them again, because soon it would only be them.</p><p>
  <strong>~~~</strong>
</p><p>The fourth day was the worst. His skin started to yellow. The doctor explained that it was his organs shutting down. The liver and kidneys were usually the first to go. They knew that if it didn't happen during this day, it would happen in the next.</p><p>Eliot wasn't conscious at all. He just laid there, motionless with raspy breaths. Parker rubbed his impossibly cold hand while Hardison stroked his hair. As visiting hours ended, they weren't made to leave, and neither were Nate and Sophie. </p><p>Eliot only lasted ten minutes into the fifth day. It started as his rasping breaths quickened and turned into gurgling gasps. Nate got a nurse while the other three watched on in horror.</p><p>"it's time," the doctor said when he came in. "Do you want me to take out the canals?"</p><p>"No, no. Not until he's gone. Don;t make him suffer anymore than he has," Hardison spoke, holding Eliot's other hand harshly.</p><p>It was silent save for Eliot's gasps. The air was thick, and time dragged on, until at 00:10, Eliot let out a long, final breath, and he was gone.</p><p>The doctor left to give the four their time with him. Silent tears slipped down Parker's cheeks as she bowed her head. The room was eerily silent until she let out a sob, which caused Hardison to pull her into his arms.</p><p>Sophie comforted Nate, holding herself together for the rest of them. They needed someone to be strong for them.</p><p>
  <strong>~~~</strong>
</p><p>Leverage inc shut down. It wouldn't have been right to go on without eliot.</p><p>The funeral was a few days later. The evening followed by Parker and Hardison dancing together in Eliot's kitchen. Hardison sniffed slightly, tears slipped down his cheeks for the first time since the day Eliot passed.</p><p>They missed him; they missed the third piece to their complicated puzzle. And nothing would feel alright for a while, but, they'd be able to find home in just the two of them again.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so sorry. Feedback and kudos are appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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